Week 38

We have had every nurse in the NICU. Most of them are quite friendly and do their jobs in caring for the boys; I have very few complaints about any of them. Sometimes one of the boys will get a nurse who goes far beyond feeding, changing, and taking vital sounds. They connect with my kids and me as well. Through the countless hours I have spent in the hospital; I have nurses have become my friends. As happy as I am for the day to come when I bring home every last boy; I will miss the nurses who have been there with us all from day one on June 6th. Keeping continuity; the boys tend to get the same nurses when they are scheduled. Those nurses tend to form an attachment. No one has gotten more attached to a boy more than one nurse named Sheila. There has been very few and far between days that Sheila has worked when she was not assigned an Evans quad. She has taken care of Camden from the first week of his life and to see how she interacts and loves him as well as her making him happy; is a wonderful sight! Sheila had the great idea of setting up a photoshoot to take pictures of the boys altogether. She made it happen. On a lazy Sunday the NICU became a "set". We picked coordinating outfits, laid out cute blankets and let the fun begin. Sheila brought her camera and took the most precious pictures of my little ones. She captured their personalities which have grown to be so distinct. If she only knew how much I appreciate her doing this for my family and the special place I will always hold for her in my heart (and I am sure Camden will too!!!)!

Done!!!! What I have been yearning to do for months is now complete...my nest has been made for my four little blessings!!! What a relief and with just days to spare!!! Even though we have been in the NICU for 11 long weeks of emotions, setbacks, milestones, etc...it still seems surreal that the day my boys will come home is getting sooo close. I was told at the beginning of the week that Keaton would be tentatively coming home on Friday. This is just what I needed to hear; I flew out of the NICU to home to bring Keaton his car seat for him to do the car seat challenge test! This week it has all caught up with me. From the exhaustion from the move, the roller coaster of emotions, just everything has really started to wear me out. As much as I love spending time with my boys; I am over spending my time with them in the NICU...over hearing negative setbacks, over having to ask for permission to hold, feed, bathe my boys. So hearing the news that I was going to be a real mommy on Friday; elated me.

I was overwhelmed with the exciting thought of getting to bring home a baby!!! So much so that I had to go shopping for all of the odds and ends and for a coming home outfit for my big boy. From the setting up of the changing tables to the packing of the diaper bag; I was ready as I would ever be!!! I walked in on Thursday morning right over to Keaton to talk all about what home would be like. His nurse walked over and hearing my excitement of his homecoming; teared up herself to tell me Keaton was not coming home. Crushed. I was devastated. I should know by now how fast things can change and even told myself not to get overly excited as setbacks happen just as fast as a milestone is reached. How can a mommy of 11 weeks not get excited over finally bringing home one of her stinkers?? After a late night feeding, Keaton had a brady and d stat and had to require oxygen. This required him to be in the NICU for another 3-5 days at a minimum without any other events occurring. Even though it was just days, after 11 weeks, I just couldn't see the end in sight.

Bad news began to get better on Friday. i was there while the doctors were rounding and was told that Keaton would now come home on Sunday as long as he continued without events. Not only would we get Keaton; we would also be bringing home Camden!!! The only thing Camden had to do to come home was to take all of his feeds. It took him having another nurse I have come close to to work with him instead of tubing his feeds. At the end of her shift she had gotten him to take all feeds from a bottle so the feeding tube was removed; this forced the following nurses to not be lazy with his bottling. Kristie knew what she was doing and knew that Camden would be successful if given the opportunity to. TWO BOYS coming home!!!! One is great but two is just DANDY!!! After the set back with Keaton; I should know not to get too excited; but really???!!!! This wasn't the only good news we received. Each boy also had an eye exam and Grayson's right eye which showed stage 3 of ROP had resolved and was stage 2. This was great!!! He as well as the other boys will be followed closely still but the high threat of getting ROP at an aggressive and dangerous stage has now subsided. 

All I had left to do, was pick up the "here and there" items for the boys coming home and pray that they WOULD come home. In doing & preparing I had to stop to give thanks for my blessings times 4!

Peek a Boo! Grayson found you!!!

Camden

Brock & Keaton